Madison — Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp on Tuesday defended Gov. Scott Walker's plan to turn the Natural Resources Board into an advisory panel, instead of one that makes policy, even as she acknowledged she had not been consulted on the proposal in advance.

"I feel that it's extra layers," Stepp said of the board in a briefing to the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee. "I think it's duplicative."

The idea has sparked opposition from Democrats as well as some of Walker's fellow Republicans. Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) said he had "some concerns" about the plan.(58)

If Park Bank is liable for not spotting Sujata "Sue" Sachdeva's $34 million embezzlement from Koss Corp., then so is chief executive Michael Koss, the bank argues in a new lawsuit.

In a suit filed last week, the bank argues that if a jury finds Park Bank liable for the loss, then Michael Koss and Grant Thornton, the firm's former auditor, should have to pay some of the award.

"Park Bank denies any and all liability to Koss in this case," Park Bank wrote in its action. "Nevertheless, should Park Bank be found liable to Koss (Corp.) and required to pay damages to Koss in this case those damages will have been the result of a common liability of Park Bank, Michael Koss and Grant Thornton, thereby entitling Park Bank to (a) contribution from Michael Koss and Grant Thornton."(2)

Rivard told he will 'always be welcome' among Assembly Republicans

Madison -- A month after the political organization for Assembly Republicans said it would not financially back Rep. Roger Rivard because of his controversial comments on rape, the Assembly majority leader said Tuesday that Rivard will “always be welcome in this caucus.”

The comments by Majority Leader Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) came as Assembly Republicans bid Rivard, a Rice Lake Republican, and other losing incumbents goodbye in the state Capitol.

“I cannot say enough about the person you are,” Suder told Rivard. “I’m proud to call you a dear, dear friend. … You are always welcome in this caucus.”

The comments were at odds with the position Republicans took before last week’s election, when they publicly abandoned him for saying that his father had told him when he was young that “some girls, they rape so easy” as a way to warn him that women could agree to sex and later claim it wasn’t consensual.

The comments cost him the endorsements of Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, Gov. Scott Walker, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and a host of others. Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester), who heads the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, said at the time he could no longer support Rivard and that the organization would not financially support Rivard.

(Just before the election, Vos acknowledged that he had talked to Rivard about once a week before the election and still wanted him to win the race.)

Rivard, who lost to Democrat Stephen Smith of Rice Lake last week, thanked his colleagues Tuesday, saying many of them had texted and called him in recent weeks to provide support.

He said he and his wife would buy a motor home and tour the country. He received rousing support from those in the room.

About Patrick Marley

Patrick Marley covers state government and state politics. He is the author, with Journal Sentinel reporter Jason Stein, of "More Than They Bargained For: Scott Walker, Unions and the Fight for Wisconsin.”